Darkest Dusk
by ShesCloser
Summary: Bella's cliff jump has apparently ended her life. Edward accepts the Volturi's offer to join them, though he's loyal to no one but his own desires.
1. Missing

_Forks_

Alice stepped out of the black Mercedes and looked around. Charlie's cruiser was parked in the driveway, and the living room light was on. Her breathing was quick as she lifted her fist to knock on the heavy door. It swung open before her knuckles made contact; she dropped her hand and stared into Charlie's shocked face.

"Alice?" Charlie said after a moment, his voice was rough with grief, and his movements frantic.

"Is Bella here?" She asked, realizing that she didn't have an excuse to be showing up in Forks. Charlie's face contorted slightly in pain, "She's missing, Alice, again." He spoke the words hard, and Alice could guess that the first time Bella went missing was directly related to the Cullen's disappearance.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," He looked out past Alice at the world his daughter could be lost in, and she stepped aside, "Of course, Charlie. I'm sorry I came at such a time."

He nodded once, and jogged down the porch steps to his car. He froze, hand reaching for the door handle, "Alice,"

"Yes, Charlie?"

"So help me God, Alice, is he back? Is Bella with him?" His voice was on the edge of becoming furious, his whole body tightening.

"He's in South America, Charlie, and I wouldn't lie to you." Alice said, knowing that she would lie without a second thought, but to her knowledge that was really where Edward was.

Without another word, Charlie climbed in and yanked the door shut, driving off down the street. Alice ran to her car, sliding in and putting it into gear. The road flew by as she drove quickly to the Quileute border. In the distance, a tan figure stepped in her path. She quickly hit the brake, stopping a foot from the suicidal boy.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing, Jacob Black?" She asked, climbing out of the car.

"I don't believe it, you're back! What did you do to her, bloodsucker?" He spat, his body shaking slightly. Alice stood, stunned, gawking at the boy. He knew.

"You're a werewolf!" She exclaimed, stepping closer to examine the vibrating frame.

"And you're a leech. Where's Bella?"

"You think I hurt her? I loved her!" Alice yelled back, filling the empty lane through the thick forests with her voice. Jacob glared at her, "_Loved_ her?"

Alice swallowed hard, "She told you, about our abilities, didn't she?" Jacob nodded stiffly, she continued, "I saw her jump from a cliff at La Push. She never came out of the water."

Jacob shook his head, "No, I mean, couldn't she have survived?"

"Jacob, her future disappeared." Alice grimaced, trying to hold her own emotions back as Jacob fell apart, pacing back and forth furiously, "This is all your fault!" He yelled, turning back to Alice, "Your filthy family-"

"I know," Alice practically screamed back, stunning Jacob into silence, "I know." She repeated, burying her face in her hands.

"I have to go." Jacob began to retreat, still facing Alice.

"Wait," Alice called out.

"What?" His voice was shaking, on the verge of crying. Alice kept her breathing steady, "You have to tell Charlie."

"No! I-I can't." Jacob sputtered, shaking his head fast, "Why can't you tell him? I just… I can't face Charlie with this."

"You have to get the things Bella left on the cliff, to give to him, or he'll always hope she's coming back." Alice couldn't see the pain that shot across Jacob's face, because she was already climbing back into the car.

"Don't hope, Jacob. I'm right." And she slammed the door shut. Jacob watched the car speed out of sight, before falling to his knees. He felt his throat constricting; tears slid down and hit the concrete road.

Alice's head was swarming, as she quickly covered the distance to her old house. She had her phone out, Jasper's number dialed, but snapped it shut. She needed more time to think.

_New York_

The house was empty, save Emmett in the garage. Jasper spent most of his time at college, and Carlisle had gone hunting with Esme. Alice was off doing God knows what in Forks; Rosalie was left alone. She stared at the phone in her hand, contemplating. She punched in the numbers slowly, not using speed dial, giving herself time to change her mind.

But she let it ring.

"What?" Edward's voice was bleak, possibly a little angry. She had expected him to be surprised by the call, at the very least.

"There's been a… problem." Rosalie started, reaching for words, "Alice went to Forks."

She could hear the sharp intake of breath from Edward, "Why did Alice interfere?" He spoke slowly, each word more furious than the previous.

"She had a vision, Edward. Bella…"

"What?" He yelled this time, no longer sounding like a dead man. He was laden with emotions. Rosalie flinched at his outburst, "She killed herself."

The line went dead. Rosalie took the phone from her ear and checked the screen, 'Call Ended' it said. She sighed and put it back into her pocket. Now he knew. Edward could stop torturing himself, stop living like a recluse, and rejoin the family. It was not right of Alice to keep this from him, Rosalie thought to herself. But with each tick from the clock hanging on the wall, her uneasiness grew.


	2. To Volterra

_La Push_

"Charlie? It's Jacob." Jacob stood, not feeling the strong wind hitting his skin. On Alice's command, he had found the spot on the cliff where Bella had jumped. Somehow, a thin brown sweatshirt and a braided bracelet made everything real.

"I'm still looking for Bella. I don't have time for this." Charlie had aged immeasurably since he had returned from making funeral arrangements to find his daughter went missing.

"I'm in La Push, on the cliffs across from Paul's house. You need to see this." Jacob hung up quickly, before Charlie could ask any questions, and sat on the hard rocks.

He stared at Bella's things, but couldn't bring himself to touch them. It had to be Charlie who gathered them. Waves crashed, and Jacob shuddered and forced the image of Bella in the water out of his head.

As he sat there alone, a memory came back to him.

_Cliff diving. _He was going to take Bella cliff diving; somehow, in the midst of Bella's disappearance, he had forgotten the conversation they had had. What if she had been cliff jumping… The thought was overwhelming. He had introduced her to the sport; what if she had accidentally killed herself because of him? Jacob winced, shoving the thought forcefully away.

He jumped up when Charlie skidded to a stop behind him, "What is it, Jake?"

Before he could answer, Jacob saw Charlie's eyes lock onto the sweatshirt crumpled on the ground behind him. Charlie pushed past him and picked it up, his hand clutching the material in a death grip.

"I found them," Jacob whispered. Charlie looked over the edge. Dense, black waves of ocean water slammed themselves against the rock.

"What am I going to do?" Charlie choked out, the words catching in his throat. He sank down, laying a hand on the ground for support.

Guilt overwhelmed Jacob, as the grown man fell apart.

_New York_

Rosalie was relieved when she saw Alice's number come up on the caller ID. She answered quickly, "Hello?"

"I don't know what to do, Rose," Alice admitted in a rush, "I think coming to Forks was a mistake. I was too late and I'm complicating an already awful situation."

"Then just come back." Rosalie advised, watching Emmett wash the grease off his hands, "Edward might be coming home soon."

Emmett turned around to look at her, "He is?"

Alice was silent on the other end.

"Alice?" Rosalie asked, ignoring Emmett.

"What do you mean he might be coming home? Did you talk to him?" Alice's voice was accusing, and worried. Rosalie grew defensive, "Of course I talked to him! Edward deserves to know what happened. He's cutting himself off from the world just to stay away from her, now he can move on."

"Rose!" Alice cried, desperately searching for Edward's future. It was hard to find, brief flickering images only stayed in place for a split second before his mind changed. All Alice could see were the marble walls and three dark hooded figures.

"He's going to the Volturi." Alice gasped.

_Arizona_

A small white house with yellow trim muffled the cries coming from within. Inside, Phil was on the computer, frantically looking for plane tickets to Washington. The screen blurred through his tears but he was composed enough to make the purchase. Renee pressed an old stuffed bear of Bella's to her chest, sobbing into the telephone.

Charlie had called.

_New York_

Jasper sat in the lecture hall, listening to the professor and ignoring the whispered conversations. The complicated analysis of Dante's Inferno was lulling the class into a sleepwalking state. Half the students were zoned out, while the others were emanating boredom so strongly it was putting him to sleep.

He felt his cell phone vibrate and pulled it out of his pocket, Alice was calling. Jasper got up, receiving a dark look from the professor, and soundlessly made his way out into the courtyard.

"Edward's going to Volterra," Alice said the second he answered.

"Hold up, what are you talking about?" Jasper asked, already deciding to skip out on classes and making his way to his car. Alice was stressed, "Rosalie told him why I went to Forks-"

"You did what?" Jasper asked incredulously, throwing his bag inside the car and getting in, "I thought you were visiting Tanya in Denali!"

"Oh, right. You didn't know." Alice remembered. She sighed, and then explained sadly, "Bella killed herself, Rosalie told Edward, and he went to the Volturi. Jasper, I have no idea what he's doing there! He's not making any decisions-"

"Where are you now?" Jasper asked, cutting off her rambling and pressing the accelerator farther.

"Still in Washington, but I'm headed for the airport."

"Good, get on the first flight back to New York." Jasper screeched to a stop in front of the Cullen's house. He could hear Rosalie and Emmett arguing inside. Alice agreed, "What will we do then?"

"I think we should go to Italy."

_South America_

The stewardess smiled brightly at him, but Edward was not there. He let his body move instinctively, going through the necessary motions to board the plane that would get him to Italy. His mind had all but shut off, because he could not cope any other way.

Finally, the Volturi could really make themselves useful.

He had not made a decision yet on what he would say to them; he only knew that he would never return to the life he had created in the last hundred years. By death or transformation, Edward Cullen would cease to exist.

As the woman bent down, quietly asking if he needed anything, Edward could feel her breath on his face.

He could smell the blood.


	3. Decisions

_New York_

It was dark out when Alice made her up the steps and into the Cullen house. She had heard Carlisle's voice, and knew he had returned early from hunting.

"Alice, good," Carlisle said when she entered, the anxious look on his face relaxed a little. Jasper moved, taking a spot next to her as Carlisle continued, "Can you see what Edward plans to do in Italy?"

Alice shook her head, looking around at her family.

"He's not going to be melodramatic, is he?" Rosalie asked, and Alice shot her a look, "Bella was everything to Edward, Rose. He was trying to stay away to protect her, but I could see that that couldn't last forever. Edward was going to go back, and now, it's too late. I don't think you understand how heartbroken he is."

"Alice is right. Bella's death will truly affect us all. But what we feel is nothing compared to how Edward must feel. Imagine, if you lost your partner." Carlisle said, looking around at the perfect couples.

"So what are we going to do?" Asked Emmett, breaking the momentary silence. Carlisle thought for a minute, "I don't think it would be wise to act without knowing Edward's motivations."

"But once we know what he wants, it could be too late." Alice argued.

"What do you mean, too late?" Esme asked, her voice breaking. Alice couldn't meet her eyes, "Hasn't it occurred to you, he might be asking for death?"

_Volterra_

"Such a pity, the girl had much potential." Aro sighed, pressing the tips of his long fingers together as he mulled over Edward's thoughts, "But I suppose there is no point in dwelling over how Bella could have benefited the vampire population."

Caius's lips were turned up in a cruel smile at Edward's suffering. Marcus watched without interest, his gaze landing on the ornately carved doorway. Edward shifted, waiting for Aro to speak again.

"To grant your wish would simply be negligent." Aro said finally, exchanging a look with Caius, "I can think of a far better solution to your unhappiness."

"Death is the only absolute solution." Edward's voice was flat.

"Join us." Aro's arms extended, motioning to his brothers on either side.

"I believe such a role could be better filled by someone else." Edward stepped back as Aro stood from his throne and descended the steps. Aro took Edward's hand, "Your abilities are suitable for a powerful position."

Aro's thin lips widened, "You lust for the power, Edward, this I can see."

"We are all tempted." He answered, and he could hear his thoughts in Aro's mind. Temptation was strong, resonating in every unspoken word.

"Consider being part of the sovereign," Aro whispered alluringly, his voice lightly raspy, "No one will dare to cross you."

The room grew quiet; Aro released his contract with Edward. Edward stepped back, watching the three men carefully.

"We would be foolish not to influence your sister's alliance as well." Caius added, leaning back in his gold-plated black chair. Edward snarled loudly, "My family will have nothing to do with this."

"Of course not," Aro quickly amended, "Alice will be welcome, but never pressured, to join us."

Aro was circling Edward slowly, his black shoes faintly squeaking against the green marble floors, "You have already made your decision, Edward. Embrace it."

_Forks_

The news spread like wildfire, the story growing bigger with each retelling. Soon Chief Swan's daughter, leaping off a cliff in La Push, was all that anyone could talk about. Angela sat on her couch, holding a wad of tissues in her hands.

"I knew she was depressed, ever since the Cullens left, but I never thought…" Angela broke off, letting out another sob into her mother's shoulder.

She heard the door open and her father came in; her mother left briefly to talk to him. Mr. Weber hung up his coat, "Funeral arrangements aren't underway yet. They still haven't found a body."

He sighed, "I've known Charlie for years. It's going to be hard to minister over the ceremony."

"I hope they find her," Mrs. Weber murmured, "I don't think Charlie could move on if they don't."

"I'm not sure if he will, regardless." Mr. Weber breathed.

_La Push_

Jacob stormed into the house, slamming the door so hard one of the hinges broke. Billy rolled out into the living room, "Jacob-" He started to say.

But Jacob walked past him, holding up a hand to silence his father. He shut himself in his room and sat on the bed, dropping his head into his hands. He wanted to grieve, but more than that he wanted to forget everything.

The Washington State Water Patrol had been searching for a day, but they hadn't found anything yet. 'Apparent suicide' was coming from everyone's lips; no one knew for sure. A knock on the door made Jacob groan. His father hadn't given him half a minute of peace.

"Jacob, I need to talk to you." Billy said, pushing himself into the room.

"I don't want to talk about it." Jacob answered, staring up at the ceiling.

"I just need to know if you've seen Seth." Billy asked solemnly. Jacob shot up in bed, "No, Sam said I had to rest before running on patrol again, I haven't been with the pack." His eyes narrowed at Billy, confused. Billy heaved a sigh, "Seth hasn't been with the pack either."

"What do you mean?"

"He's missing."


End file.
